PEABODY — Northshore Mall unveiled the newest piece of its $80 million makeover yesterday.
A two-story, 165,000-square-foot wing that will eventually accommodate between 25 and 35 retailers will officially open to shoppers. The wing will serve as the link between the mall and Nordstrom, a new anchor store slated to open next spring.
Sixteen tenants have so far leased space in the wing, and all are expected to be open by the end of the year. The opening of five of them — Sephora, Bare Escentuals, abercrombie (kids), The Walking Company and Teavana — will coincide with the opening of the wing.
Heading into the holiday shopping season, Simon Property, the company that manages the mall, is confident that the wing, a revamped food court, and an array of interior and exterior upgrades will wow the throngs of consumers who will descend on the mall.
"We think that they're really going to be surprised and delighted by what we have in store for them," mall manager Mark Whiting said.
The new wing was a flurry of activity last week. Inside the stores scrambling to open, electricians hung lighting fixtures, workers prepped walls for Sheetrock, and employees unloaded just-delivered stock. Outside the stores, under the natural light pouring through a glass ceiling, a worker dusted an escalator.
It has taken 250,000 man hours, 900 tons of steel, 140,000 floor tiles, five miles of electrical wire and 1,800 cubic units of concrete to renovate and expand the mall. And the cost, $80 million, doesn't include what individual tenants are spending to prepare their stores to open, Whiting said.
The wing is not the only opening scheduled for next week at the mall. P.F. Chang's China Bistro, a 252-seat restaurant beside the 1-year-old Cheesecake Factory, began serving meals yesterday.
Later this month, between Nov. 14 and 21, a two-level H&M clothing store will open, using space that formerly housed a Sam Goody music store. It will be followed next spring by Forever 21, a two-level, mostly women's apparel shop that will provide access to the new wing.
When all the work is done, Northshore Mall will have 1.7 million square feet of leasable retail space compared to the Burlington Mall's 1.4 million square feet.
The improvements, which will culminate with a 135,000-square-foot Nordstrom that will house an upscale restaurant, are meant to make the mall a shopping destination that draws customers from the previously untapped markets of Newburyport, Portsmouth, N.H., and the Maine seacoast, Whiting said.
"They are obviously very affluent communities that we hope will hear about what's happening here," he said.
The new wing has sparkling granite and marble bathrooms on each level.
"This matches any deluxe hotel," Whiting said.
The wing also has a carpeted lounge area where shoppers can take a break. Similar seating areas are being installed in spots throughout the high-traffic common areas. Both are attempts to enhance shoppers' experience, Whiting said.
On Black Friday, the busy day after Thanksgiving, the mall will open a "Rejuvenation Station" that will provide shoppers complimentary massages and a sampling of teas and coffees sold by mall tenants.
"When I was growing up, this was just an open (air) strip mall," said Wendy Pearl, chairwoman of Peabody's Chamber of Commerce. "Just to watch this transformation, it's just amazing what they've done. It's beautiful."
There will be enough parking, Whiting promised, even on the mall's busiest day, which is typically the Saturday before Christmas. Spaces will be reserved near entrances for shoppers who carpool in groups of four.
"We're thrilled to have more economic development in Peabody, and this is a sure sign of positive, forward movement in that direction," Community Development Director Jean Delios said after a tour of the mall.
The mall entrance at Joe's American Bar and Grill will be open by Black Friday. The entrance at Bertucci's will be open by mid-December, Whiting said. A new entrance to the wing off the J.C. Penney parking area should be ready today.
Matthew K. Roy may be contacted at mroy@gloucestertimes.com.
stores in the new wing
Already open:
Geox
Swarovski
Opening today:
Bare Escentuals
Sephora
abercrombie
The Walking Company
Teavana
Scheduled to open by the end of the year:
Godiva
aerie
Zara
Express
White House Black Market
Lush
Zale's
Village Silversmith
Pure Beauty
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